Best Compost Bin Designs For Container Gardening

We're often asked what the best compost bin designs are for container gardening?

Rather a tricky question! It's kind of like asking what is the best gardening container type for you. The answer will vary depending on whether you plan to garden on a rooftop, in raised vegetable beds, or even indoors.

We can generalize a little, and say that there are two very basic types of compost bins: air-flow compost bin designs, and worm compost bins (vermicompost).

You can also compost using a process known as "lasagne gardening"... Not as tasty as it sounds, unfortunately! But still a good way to use your organic waste, and prepare a new area for planting next season.

This page rounds up the best compost bin designs for a variety of container gardeners. We've tried to find one to suit every purpose, from patio gardening to rooftop, and even an indoor compost bin.

Starting Out in Composting Tip

Why blaze your own trail, when generations of gardeners have been there and done that for you? Learn from an experienced composter, and you'll get off on the right foot.

Worm Factory: Why We Love It

Vermicomposting is the process of using worms and micro-organisms to turn into black, earthy-smelling, nutrient-rich humus.

Make something more useful out of your fruit and vegetable trimmings, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, egg shells, shredded paper, egg cartons, flowers, breakfast cereal cardboard and a lot of other stuff you'd usually just throw into the trash.

This worm farm is one of the best compost bin designs we've seen. It makes the whole process of composting simple and easy. The composting speed of this system is generally faster with its thermo siphon air flow design. It can be used all year round, both indoors and outdoors.

It fits well in your condo, apartments, yard, garages, balcony, porches and even kitchens. Start your own composting system by adding a mixture of a good handful of healthy worms and organic waste into the lowest tray. The worms will then almost instantly start processing the food.

Once a tray is filled, continue adding a new tray on top of the previous layer, as the worms will "relocate" to the latest food source. What is then left of the vacated layer is a full ray of rich compost.

During the process, moisture is also filtered through the system along with the nutrient-rich particles, and produces an organic liquid fertilizer (compost tea) to be collected from the spout. You can stack up to eight layers of trays to produce more compost.